What is SmarTrip®?

SmarTrip is a rechargeable farecard that you can use on many public
transportation systems throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland and
the District of Columbia including Metrorail and Metrobus. Having
one farecard makes bus and train transfers easy, and with SmarTrip
there’s no need to carry bus tokens or worry about having exact
change for your fare.

Where Can I Get a SmarTrip Card?

Your SmarTrip card will cost $2 to purchase. Some sales locations sell
cards with pre-loaded amounts already on them; therefore, the cost would be $2
plus the pre-loaded amount. You may purchase a SmarTrip card online
at SmarTrip.com or:

How Do I Register My Card?

SmarTrip cards must be registered in order to receive SmartBenefits
or to have value from a lost, stolen, or damaged card transferred
to a new card. To register your card, visit SmarTrip.com. If
you purchased your card online or by mail, it is already registered.

How Do I Pay My Fare?

Each passenger must have their own SmarTrip card.

Simply touch your SmarTrip card to the SmarTrip target on top
of the electronic farebox. The appropriate fare will be automatically
deducted from your card.

All passengers may pay with cash ($1, $5, $10 or $20 bills and
coins - no pennies).

OmniLink passengers may pay with tokens.

Those who qualify for reduced fares on PRTC buses must pay with
cash or with a Senior (65+)/Disabled SmarTrip card (available through
the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) in order to
receive the discount.

Local bus Day Pass and Weekly Pass are only available on SmarTrip cards.

OmniLink off-route surcharges may be paid for with cash, token or additional value on a SmarTrip card.

How Do I Pay a Reduced Fare?

PRTC offers reduced fares all day on OmniLink and Cross County
Connector buses, and during non-peak hours (9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and
after 7 p.m.) on OmniRide and Metro Direct buses. Passengers
qualify for reduced fares on PRTC buses if they are at least 60 years
old, or if
they have a disability or a valid Medicare card. Riders eligible
for reduced fares on PRTC buses must pay with cashor
with a WMATA-issued Senior SmarTrip card or a Metro Reduced Fare SmarTrip ID.

How Do I Make a Transfer with a SmarTrip Card?

Transfers ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR FARES PAID WITH SMARTRIP. They are good for 3 hours on the day issued. The electronic farebox will calculate and automatically deduct the correct fare from your SmarTrip card.

No credit will be given when transferring between PRTC buses
and Metrorail.

There are no free transfers between OmniLink buses. Passengers should consider purchasing a day or weekly pass for OmniLink travel that requires the use of multiple bus routes.

How Do I Add Money To My SmarTrip Card?

Riders can load value online at SmarTrip.com as needed, or can use SmarTrip's Autoload feature to have a pre-determined amount added automatically via credit or debit card.

Value also may be added at any Metrorail station, at the PRTC Transit Center, or on any PRTC bus. When loading value on the bus, please note that it may take up to three days for the value to appear on the SmarTrip card. To load value on the bus:

Before you tap your card to the target, push the ADD VALUE
button on the farebox. (If you touch the card to the target
prior to pushing the ADD VALUE button, the farebox will deduct
your fare).

Touch your card to the SmarTrip target.

Insert cash $1, $5, $10 or $20 bills or coins (no pennies)
to load up to a maximum of $300 total value on the card. To
prevent delays, please limit on-board loading of your card to three
bills.

Touch your card to the SmarTrip target again to upload the value.

Touch your card once more to deduct the fare for your trip.

To check the available balance on your SmarTrip card, push the CHECK
VALUE button before you tap the card to the target. Your card
balance will appear on the display screen.

How Do I Buy A Pass Product?

You can buy Day Passes and Weekly Passes at the PRTC Transit Center and on PRTC buses.To buy a pass on a PRTC bus, be sure to have enough money on your SmarTrip card and inform the operator that you want to purchase a pass before tapping your card. To prevent delays, please do not load more than three bills to your SmarTrip card at one time.

To use your pass, simply tap your SmarTrip card to the farebox.

If you qualify, you can buy a Reduced Fare Weekly Pass or Day Pass using your SmarTrip card.

If you qualify for reduced fares on PRTC buses but DO NOT have a WMATA issued Senior SmarTrip card or a Metro Reduced Fare SmarTrip ID, visit the PRTC Transit Center (M-F, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.) and bring proof of your age and/or disability and your SmarTrip card. PRTC will place a sticker on your SmarTrip card so bus operators will know that you are eligible to pay reduced rates for passes. When boarding, tell the operator that you want to buy a pass, show the operator your SmarTrip card with the sticker and then tap it to the farebox.

What if I Have a Problem With My SmarTrip Card?

If you have trouble using your SmarTrip card on the bus, you will
have to pay for your trip with cash. If you have questions
or problems using your SmarTrip card, contact Metro at (888) 762-7874
or visit SmarTrip.com.

Where Can I Use a SmarTrip Card?

Along with PRTC, these regional carriers also accept SmarTrip:

ART – Arlington County

CUE – Fairfax City

DASH – Alexandria

DC Circulator

Fairfax Connector

Loudoun County Transit

Metrorail and Metrobus

Ride On – Montgomery County

What is SmartBenefits?

SmartBenefits® is a tax free or pre-tax benefit, of up to $255 per month that companies and Federal agencies can provide to their employees. Using a convenient web-based program, employers assign the dollar value of an employee's monthly SmartBenefit directly to the employee's SmarTrip card. The benefit is also accepted in participating vanpools. The SmartBenefits program is administered through the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro). For more information, visit the SmartBenefits page on Metro's website or call Metro at (202) 962-1326.